While looking through France's Ligue 2 today (what, you thought LA Galaxy* were the only ones to do that?), I noticed a 6'5", 19 yo American at Le Havre named Amir Richardson. He's the son of former NBA All-Star PG Micheal Ray Richardson. I've searched a few times today for a YA thread about him, but haven't seen his name anywhere, so apologies if the discussion already exists. Naturally at that height, you might expect him at CB. But he's currently being used in a midfield three and had his best game yet at Bastia last Saturday. *funnily enough, Richardson's pro debut came against current Gal Rayan Raveloson
Listed as Frenchman Michaël Richardson here: https://us.soccerway.com/players/amir-richardson/703388/ According to Wiki, Micheal Ray played at AC Golfe-Juan-Vallauris in 2002 (presumably in France)
@bungadiri @dark knight I think it would serve us well to include the name "Richardson" in the thread title.
Uh... It’s not everyday YA doesn’t know about a 19 y/o, 6’5 midfielder who has started 5 consecutive games in Ligue 2 and also happens to be the son of a former NBA All-Star. He had a recent interview posted on the club's YouTube page if anyone speaks French: Just from using the auto-translate feature (which is clearly a very rough translation, to say the least) it seems like he was saying that he wasn't expecting to have a starting spot so soon but had a good preseason. Also, his dad is back in the United States while his mom lives in France. He has a good relationship with his dad despite not seeing him much and they speak daily over the phone, even though he says he doesn't understand soccer that well. Regardless, he gives him good advice about life and the mindset of an athlete. Also found this article written shortly after his debut. After a quick free 14-day trial to that website and Google Translate, it seems that even few who follow the club were aware of him before his debut because he went straight from the U19s to his first team appearance without having a professional contract - which he later signed on July 9. He apparently never played for Le Havre II due to the impact of COVID on their season. Furthermore, Richardson came from Nice in 2019 due to the recommendation of Le Havre director of recruitment Franck Sale, who knew him for years at Nice. Here's a couple intriguing excerpts from the previously linked article featuring words from Sale and others from the Le Havre staff (Google Translated): From Nice to Le Havre, the man behind his arrival is obviously called Franck Sale. "Amir arrived in Nice at the same time as I did," recalls the recruiter who spent time on the French Riviera between 2012 and 2017. He was about ten years old. He is a boy that I have always appreciated and that I have always defended during meetings with the trainers from Nice. It was necessary, because its morphology logically generated some physical problems which slowed down its progression. And it is unfortunately difficult to be patient with this kind of profile in training centers..." ... "His father lives in the United States, but I remember that the day he came to see Amir in Le Havre, he was very affected because Kobe Bryant, whom he had had little on his knees, had just disappeared", says again Franck Sale, who logically did "everything possible" to recover his former protégé in the ocean city. Arrived as an attacking midfielder, the left-hander was quickly repositioned a notch lower. "We use him mainly as a sentinel for our 4-3-3 (system common to youth teams), but he has all the qualities to play torchbearer," said Michael Lebaillif, coach of the reserve after having been that of the U19. "Very comfortable technically, he is able to score goals and give out very good assists," said François Rodrigues, the director of training. Also was lauded by the media after his last match: Starter for the fifth time in six days, Amir Richardson (19) did not do everything, but nevertheless showed great activity and a real personality on the lawn of Furiani Richardson’s activity. Like all of his partners, he didn’t always make the right choices. But what activity! What volume of play, how many raked balls! From match to match, Amir Richardson exhibits an astonishing personality in the game, at only 19 years old. Oui, this one is VERY interesting.
Any ideas what "sentinel" and "torchbearer" might be as midfield roles? Sentinel = 10 and torchbearer = box-to-box/8? Very cool, regardless
📸 Amir Richardson @hac_foot @hacfans1872 ©️ Photo : Maley pic.twitter.com/4Jb1k5CXav— HAC FANS 1872 ⚽ (@hacfans1872) September 1, 2021
Looked up the original terms in the article... score one to each of you haha: -sentinelle/milieu défensifs (sentinel) = 6 -milieu relayeur (torchbearer) = 8
Michael Ray Richardson…there’s a name I haven’t heard for a while. I hope to Christ Amir has a better handle on off court/pitch matters than his father.
In Ligue 2 today, French-American Amir Richardson, 19, starting in the midfield for Le Havre. Amir is the son of former NBA All-Star Micheal Ray Richardson (Knicks, Nets, Warriors). #NBA, #Knicks. @TheSteinLine. https://t.co/xNMv2UQx17— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) September 13, 2021 starts today, 6'5 central midfielder, fascinating. @dark knight @bungadiri can we move this thread to the academy forum? and maybe a title change to Amir Richardson at Le Havre
He looks like a natural lefty in these highlights. He's usually in the attacking half or near midfield, but at one point he drops almost all the way back between the CBs to collect the ball.
Crazy how under the radar this kid is. Also insane that it seems like Michael Ray just got booted from the NBA for drugs and then went to Europe, where he eventually sires a towering dual nat midfielder.
It's amazing how long his career was. Dude was drafted in 1978 and after eight NBA seasons and one CBA season, he was went to Europe and played for fifteen more seasons before retiring in 2002 when he was... 47! Put another way, he started his career midway through Jimmy Carter's presidency and finished midway through the SECOND George Bush's first term. Amir was born just before he stopped playing.
crazier that’s happened 2x. Howard Carter speaks openly about his drug problems (which forced him out of the NBA) to warn young people through his choices. He produced a good American centerback
C'est fini au @StadeOceane ! Très beau match entre Havrais et Toulousains ! Ouverture du score par Onaiwu à la 34e, et superbe égalisation de Quentin Cornette sur coup franc !#HACTFC pic.twitter.com/FafpWnK0jS— Havre Athletic Club ⚽️ (@HAC_Foot) September 13, 2021 Went the full 90 ended 1-1
Here by the way is his profile page on the club site. He's an (early) '02, so theoretically U23-eligible. http://www.hac-foot.com/equipe/amir-richardson.html
Not in the squad for today’s match, some digging brings up this https://www.footnormand.fr/actualites/le-havre-ac/de-toulouse-nancy-la-drole-de-semaine-du- “the arrest of Amir Richardson for having driven without a driver's license” “Amir Richardson has been one of the revelations of the HAC since the start of the championship. But on Tuesday, it was outside the green rectangle that the midfielder (19 years old) signaled himself in a way he should have avoided. As revealed by L'Equipe , the n ° 24 of “Ciel et Marine” was checked at the wheel of a car even though he does not have a driving license! "Amir is an intelligent boy who committed a big mistake. I hope he will learn the lesson" , loose Paul le Guen. We saw each other in my office, of course he apologized . " However, the management of the Norman club suspended him for a match. "He will become a candidate again at the beginning of next week. “
Cool. Young kid makes a mistake and serves a punishment. All is right with the world. I look forward to following his progress this season.
For those wondering, it appears the driving age in France is 18, so he's old enough -- just doesn't have a license, for whatever reason. This has me worried about getting him for the USMNT, because what could be less American than being 19 without a drivers license?